GRAMMAR DETAIL
に
Marks a phenomenon or state, such as rain, wind, cold, or emotion, as the cause or stimulus of a response or change. This differs from uses that mark a destination, point of contact, recipient, time, purpose, passive agent, or resulting state.
Examples
冷たい風に、子どもたちは目を細めた。
The cold wind made the children squint.
Words used
強風に窓が激しく揺れた。
The strong wind made the window shake violently.
Words used
突然の雷の音に驚いて、赤ちゃんが泣き出した。
Startled by the sudden clap of thunder, the baby began to cry.
Words used
Study notes
1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning
- Structure: A noun for a phenomenon or state takes
にwhen it is the stimulus for a response or change. - Basic usage: In
雷の音に驚いて, the thunder is the stimulus for being startled.
2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions
- Stimulus and responding subject
- In
子どもが雷に驚く, the child is the responding subject and the thunder the stimulus.がandにmark different roles.
- In
- Distinct from cause in general
- Learn it with a compatible reaction verb, as in
雷に驚く. In a broader causal statement such as大雪のため列車が止まった,ためcannot always be replaced withに.
- Learn it with a compatible reaction verb, as in